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Abstract:

A computer system accesses payroll-related insurance premium data at an
individual employee level and provides the data at the individual
employee level, including cost of insurance at the individual employee
level, on a client device. A computer system compares stored data with
payroll data and identifies employees lacking occupation classification
information for payroll-based premium determination. The computer system
provides a fillable form on a user device for the user to provide
occupation classification data, and receives the occupation
classification data. The computer system provides fillable forms on a
user device for a user to provide payroll data for receipt by the system,
runs business rules on the received payroll data, determines premiums for
payroll-based insurance coverage.

Claims:

1. A computer system for receiving payroll related employee data and
determining payroll related insurance premiums, comprising: a
presentation device configured to provide a fillable form for display on
a client device, the form prompting a user to provide payroll data, the
payroll data including data indicative of employee geographic data,
occupation classification and gross amount paid, and to output
user-provided payroll data; a processing device configured to: receive
the user-provided payroll data from the presentation device; run business
rules on the received user-provided payroll data to identify
discrepancies in the user-provided payroll data; and output, when no
discrepancies are identified in the user-provided payroll data, the
user-provided payroll data to a premium calculation device; and a premium
calculation device configured to calculate premiums based on the received
user-provided payroll data.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the payroll data further
comprises data indicative of wages, vacation time, sick time, bonuses and
tips.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the premium calculation device
is configured to calculate the premiums based further on business
classification data and stored rate data, and to provide the premium data
to the presentation device for display on the client device.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the insurance premiums are
workers compensation insurance premiums.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the business rules comprise
state-specific business rules.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the state-specific business
rules comprise rules for determining whether workers compensation
insurance is required for an employee.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is
further configured to generate a wage statement listing wages paid by an
employer associated with the user on an employee-by-employee basis for
furnishing to the employer.

8. A computer-implemented method for receiving payroll related employee
data and determining payroll related insurance premiums, comprising:
providing, by a processor of a presentation module, a fillable form for
display on a client device, the form prompting a user to provide payroll
data, the payroll data including employee geographic data, occupation
classification and gross amount paid; providing, by the processor of the
presentation module, the user-provided payroll data to a processing
module; running, by a processor of a processing module, business rules on
the user-provided payroll data to identify discrepancies in the
user-provided payroll data; furnishing, by the processor of the
processing module when no discrepancies are identified in the
user-provided payroll data, the user-provided payroll data to a premium
calculation module; and calculating, by a processor of the premium
calculation module, premiums based on the user-provided payroll data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the user-provided
payroll data further comprises wages, vacation time, sick time, bonuses
and tips.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the calculating,
by the processor of the premium calculation module, of the premiums is
based further on business classification data and stored rate data.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a communications module, data indicative of
a request from a claims processing system for verification of
payroll-related insurance data; accessing, by a processor of a data
access module, from a data storage device, payroll-related insurance
data; comparing, by the processor of the processing module, the request
with the data accessed from the data storage device, and determining a
response to the request for verification based on the comparing; and
providing, by the processor of the communications module, the response to
the request to the claims processing system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the request is
for verification of workers compensation coverage as of an indicated
date.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the business
rules comprise state-specific business rules for determining whether
workers compensation insurance is required for an employee.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising
generating, by the processor of the presentation module, a wage statement
listing wages paid by an employer associated with the user on an
employee-by-employee basis for display on the client device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of
instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by a
processor, cause the processor to: provide for presentation on a display
of a user device a fillable form, the form prompting a user to provide
payroll data, the user-provided payroll data including employee
geographic data, occupation classification and gross amount paid; receive
user-provided payroll data in response to presentation of the fillable
form; responsive to receipt of the payroll data, apply business rules to
the user-provided payroll data to identify discrepancies in the
user-provided payroll data; and provide, when no discrepancies are
identified in the user-provided payroll data, the user-provided payroll
data to a premium calculation module that includes a processor configured
to calculate premiums based on the user-provided payroll data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the
business rules comprise state-specific business rules for determining
whether workers compensation insurance is required for an employee.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the
instructions further cause the processor to generate a wage statement
listing wages paid by an employer associated with the user on an
employee-by-employee basis for display on the user device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the
instructions further cause the processor to: receive data indicative of a
request from a claims processing system for verification of
payroll-related insurance data; access, from a database, payroll-related
insurance data; compare the request with the data accessed from the
database, and determine a response to the request for verification based
on the comparing; and provide the response to the request to the claims
processing system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the
request is for verification of workers' compensation coverage as of an
indicated date.

Description:

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional application of copending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/644,718 filed Oct. 4, 2012, entitled
System And Method For Processing Payroll-Related Employee And Insurance
Data, which is in turn a divisional application of copending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/639,196, filed Dec. 16, 2009, entitled System and
Method for Processing and Transmitting Payroll-Related Data for Insurance
Transactions, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/975,224, filed Oct. 17, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No.
8,112,333, entitled System and Method for Processing Payroll Related
Insurance Premiums, the entirety of all of which are incorporated herein
by reference for all purposes.

[0003] Employers purchase a variety of insurance products from insurance
companies related to employees. Examples of these insurance products
include workers compensation insurance, employer-provided term life
insurance, and other insurance products. Premiums are calculated by the
insurance company based on estimated numbers of employees, employee
occupations, salary ranges of employees, locations of employees, and
other factors.

[0004] The determination of the total premiums is complicated. Reporting
to the employer/customer by the insurance company is typically
accomplished by a physical printed reported mailed to the employer. The
printed report does not provide granular reporting, but provides premium
calculations at a higher level for larger employers. For example,
premiums for a multi-state employer may be reported by class and state.
Additional detail is undesirable from the standpoint of excessive paper
and postage cost.

[0005] When employees are added to a payroll, the employer does not
typically immediately notify the insurance company that provides
payroll-based insurance coverage. The insurance company may receive a
report of payroll information, including employee data, from a payroll
company, and identify employees for whom required information for
determination of premium charges is lacking. For example, location of
employment and occupation classification data may be lacking. Insurance
company personnel typically telephone the employer to obtain this
information. The use of personnel to telephone the employer is
labor-intensive. Owners and managers needed to complete the information
may not be available at the times when insurance company personnel are
making calls. For example, owners of construction contractors may be on
job sites and not available during normal business hours when insurance
company personnel are making calls. Similarly, owners of restaurants may
be at the restaurant location primarily in evenings and not available
during the daytime.

[0006] Small businesses often do not use payroll companies to prepare
their payrolls. Such businesses will often employ a bookkeeper to prepare
payrolls on a manual basis. As a result, such businesses do not have
electronic sources of payroll information that can readily be provided to
insurance companies for accurate determination of premiums for
payroll-related insurance. The lack of such information may result in
inaccuracies in premiums. If the insurance company performs an audit,
significant discrepancies that must be remedied by refunds or additional
premium payments are often identified.

SUMMARY

[0007] In one embodiment, a computer system for administration of
payroll-related insurance transactions has: a system access module
configured to authenticate a user from a client device; a data access
module configured to, responsive to a request from the authenticated user
via the client device, accessing from an insurance company database
payroll-related insurance data of an employer associated with the
authenticated user, said data including cost data at an employee level
and occupation codes associated with employee; a processing module
configured to identify, based on the accessed employee data, employees
lacking an associated occupation classification code; and a presentation
module configured to furnish, for display on a client device: insurance
cost data at an employee level; an occupation code form listing each of
the employees identified as lacking an associated occupation
classification code and a user prompt for an occupation classification
code, and for receiving classification codes from the user; and a
fillable form prompting the user to provide payroll data, the payroll
data including employee geographic data, occupation classification and
gross amount paid; to receive classification codes and payroll data from
the client device, and to furnish received classification codes and
payroll data to the processing module. The processing module is further
for furnishing received payroll data and classification codes to the
insurance company database.

[0008] In an embodiment, a computer system for furnishing payroll-related
insurance data for insurance products supplied to an employer by an
insurance company, to a client device, includes: a system access module
configured to authenticate a user from the client device, the user being
associated with the employer; a data access module configured to,
responsive to a request from the authenticated user via the client
device, accessing payroll-based insurance data of the employer from an
insurance company database, including individual employee identifiers,
occupation codes associated with each individual employee, wages
associated with each individual employee, and insurance premiums
associated with each individual employee; and a presentation module
configured to present the accessed payroll-based insurance data of the
employer, including individual employee identifiers, occupation codes
associated with each individual employee, wages associated with each
individual employee, and insurance premiums associated with each
individual employee, on the client device.

[0009] In an embodiment, a computer system for classification of employees
for use in payroll-based insurance services, includes: a data access
module configured to access employee data from a payroll data source and
from an insurance company database, the employee data including name,
state, and wage amounts; a processing module configured to identify,
based on the accessed employee data, employees lacking an associated
occupation classification code; and a presentation module configured to
present a fillable form on a display on a client device listing each of
the identified employees and a user prompt for an occupation
classification code, and for receiving classification codes from the
user. The processing module is further for furnishing received
classification codes to the insurance company database. The system
further includes a premium determination engine for calculating premiums
based on the received classification codes.

[0010] In an embodiment, a computer system for receiving payroll related
employee data and determining payroll related insurance premiums,
includes: a presentation module configured to provide a fillable form for
display on a client device, the form prompting the user to provide
payroll data, the payroll data including employee geographic data,
occupation classification and gross amount paid, and for providing
received data to a processing module; a processing module configured to
receive the payroll data from the presentation module, for running
business rules on the received payroll data, and for providing the
payroll data to a premium calculation module; and a premium calculation
module configured to calculate premiums based on the received payroll
data.

[0011] In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for furnishing
payroll-related insurance data to a user associated with an employer via
a client device, includes: authenticating the user by a system
authentication module; accessing, by a processor of a data access module
responsive to a request from the user device, payroll-based insurance
data of the employer from a database, the accessed payroll-based
insurance data including names of a plurality of employees and employee
data associated with each of the employees, the employee data including
wages paid to the employee, occupation classification code of the
employee, employment location of the employee, and cost of premium for
payroll-based insurance coverage associated with the employee;
presenting, by a processor of a presentation module, the accessed payroll
based insurance data of the employer on a display of the client device,
the presenting including presenting employee names and associated with
each of the employee names, employee data including wages paid to the
employee, occupation classification code of the employee, employment
location of the employee, and cost of premium for payroll-based insurance
coverage associated with the employee.

[0012] In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for classification
of employees for use in payroll-based insurance services, includes:
accessing by a processor of a data access module employee data, of
employees associated with an employer, from a payroll data source and
from an insurance company database; identifying by a processor of a
processing module, based on the accessed employee data, employees lacking
an associated occupation classification code; presenting, by a processor
of a presentation module, responsive to a request from a user associated
with the employer, a fillable form on a display on a client device
listing each of the identified employees and a user prompt for an
occupation classification code; receiving occupation classification codes
from the user; and furnishing by a processor of the processing module
received occupation classification codes to the insurance company
database.

[0013] In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for receiving
payroll related employee data and determining payroll related insurance
premiums, includes: providing by a processor of a presentation module a
fillable form for display on a client device, the form prompting the user
to provide payroll data, the payroll data including employee geographic
data, occupation classification and gross amount paid; providing by a
processor of the presentation module received data to a processing
module; running by a processor of the processing module business rules on
the received data; furnishing by the processor of the processing module
the data to a premium calculation module; and calculating by a processor
of the premium calculation module premiums based on the received payroll
data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer network for
implementation of a method and system of the invention.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for
use in the embodiments of FIG. 1.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing modules in an exemplary system
according to an embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a high level schematic view of an environment for
implementation of a method and system of the invention.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of steps in a method of an
embodiment of the invention.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a system according to an embodiment
of an invention.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a high level schematic view of an environment for
implementation of a method and system of the invention.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram of steps in a method of an
embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a process flow diagram of steps in a method of an
embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the
present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are
relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while
eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in
typical computer systems and methods for communicating and processing
data related to payroll-based insurance products.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 10, a high level view of an environment for
implementation of a method and system that overcomes the problems
encountered in the prior art is illustrated. Businesses of various types
that have employees are shown. The exemplary businesses include a retail
store 1010 having employees 1011, factory 1020 having employees 1021,
office-based business 1030 having employees 1031 and home-based business
1035 having employees 1036. The retail store 1010, factory 1020,
office-based business 1030 and home-based business 1035 will each have
varying occupation classifications for calculation of workers
compensation premiums, for example. The retail store 1010, factory 1020,
office-based business 1030 businesses receive their payrolls 1041, 1042,
1433 from a payroll company that has a payroll company sever 1040 for
calculating and communicating payroll data, such as via secure
communications protocols over Internet 1060, to insurance company server
1050. Home based business 1035 has a manual payroll system implemented on
paper records by a bookkeeper 1037 who may perform and check calculations
using an electronic calculator.

[0031] Insurance company server 1050 permits client devices operated by
individual employers and officers and other representatives of to access,
via Internet 1060, data on an employee-by-employee level identifying the
cost of insurance products. Cost data may be presented for each pay
period for each employee. Additional data may be presented for each
employee, including location, job classification and pay per payroll, so
that the employer may verify the information employed by the insurance
company to calculate the insurance costs. For example, since workers
compensation insurance premiums vary from state to state, correct
identification of the location of an employee is important for accurate
calculation of premiums. Since workers compensation insurance premiums
also vary depending on the job classification, e.g., premiums are higher
for jobs on a factory floor than clerical jobs, correct job
classification is also important for accurate calculation of premiums.

[0032] Insurance company server 1050 receives payroll data from payroll
company server 1040 and compares the received data to payroll data
already in the insurance company's records. If new employees have been
added, those employees are typically not in the insurance company's
records, and the insurance company does not have job classification
information for those new employees. The insurance company server may
create a fillable form, accessible by the employer over the Internet at a
secure website, listing each of the new employees, with a field to permit
the employer to input the job classifications of the new employees. The
insurance company may then calculate the proper insurance premiums for
the new employees.

[0033] For a business, such as home-based business 1035, that does not use
a payroll service company or its own software to prepare payrolls, the
insurance company server may provide a fillable form, accessible on a
secure website by the home-based business 1035, for the employer to input
information used in calculation of insurance premiums. The information
requested by the form may include employee name, pay for the current
payroll, job classification, whether any of the pay for the payroll is in
a particular type, such as paid vacation or overtime, and other
information. The insurance company server may use this information for
calculation of premiums for payroll-based insurance. The insurance
company server stores this information, and may provide a form at the
next payroll to the employer to permit the employer to update the
information to reflect departed employees, new hires, job classification
changes, pay changes, and the like.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary network configuration is shown.
Network 100 connects various computer systems and devices. Network 100
may be or include any type of network, including a local area network
(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an intranet, the Internet, a public
switched telephone network (PSTN) or other network. Network 100 may
employ any suitable data protocols.

[0035] Various devices and networks may be in communication with network
100. In embodiments, client device 170, a desktop computer system, client
device 172, a notebook computer system, and client device 174, a personal
digital assistant, and client device 176, a smart phone, are in
communication with network 100. Client devices 170, 172, 174 are merely
exemplary. Local area network (LAN) 160 is an exemplary network of an
entity such as a commercial or non-profit entity that has employees and
obtains payroll-based insurance products. LAN 160 has in communication
therewith desktop computer systems 164, 166, and file server 162. Small
business accounting software, such as QuickBooks, may run on file server
162 and be accessible by computer systems 164, 166 in a client-server
configuration.

[0036] LAN 120 may be a network of an insurance company, by way of
example. Firewall unit 125 may be configured to provide data security
services with respect to systems and networks, LAN 120 and the devices in
communication therewith. Firewall unit 125 may be a stand alone device
including one or more processors, data storage devices, and input and
output connections. Server 130 may serve as a front-end web server that
formats and serves web pages to client devices running browser software.
In an embodiment, a processor of server 130 may execute steps of a method
of processing payroll-related insurance data. In an embodiment, server
130 may function as a web front-end for another device or system, such as
server 150, which may execute steps of a method of extracting
payroll-related insurance cost data from a backend database. Server 130
may provide the functionality of one or more of the presentation modules
discussed in greater detail herein. Server 150 may provide the
functionality of one or more of the processing modules, data access
modules and communication modules discussed in greater detail herein. The
term "module," as used herein, includes computer hardware, including
processors and memory devices, having loaded program code causing the
processor and other devices to perform particular functions. Server 140
may receive payroll data and perform processing to determine premium
amounts for payroll-based insurance products. Server 140 may access data
via mainframe 145 for use in calculations of premium amounts.

[0037] In embodiments, a network or data processing network, such as
Internet 100, may be employed which may include a plurality of individual
networks, such as a wireless network and a landline based network, each
of which may include a plurality of servers, individual workstations or
personal computers. Additionally, as those skilled in the art will
appreciate, one or more LANs may be included where a LAN may comprise a
plurality of intelligent workstations coupled to a host processor. The
networks may also include mainframe computers or servers, such as a
gateway computer or application server. A gateway computer serves as a
point of entry into each network. The gateway may be preferably coupled
to another network by means of one or more communications links. The
gateway may also be directly coupled to one or more workstations using a
communications link. The gateway computer may also be coupled to a
storage device for storing information related to translation of data,
such as user identifications, user-specific mapping between different
data formats, requirements for data submission for one or more types of
insurance transactions, as well as other data. Further, the gateway may
be directly or indirectly coupled to one or more workstations. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the gateway computer may be
located geographically remote from the network, and similarly, the
workstations may be located geographically remote from the networks
and/or network servers. The client devices or workstations may connect to
the wireless network using a networking protocol such as the Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP") over a number of
alternative connection media, such as cellular phone, radio frequency
networks, satellite networks, etc. The wireless network may connect to
the gateway using a network connection a such as TCP (Transmission
Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol) over IP, X.25, Frame
Relay, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), PSTN (Public Switched
Telephone Network), etc.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram illustrates an
exemplary computer system for use in the embodiment of FIG. 1. In
computer system 200, processor 210 executes instructions contained in
programs such as payroll related insurance processing program 212.
Programs may be stored on suitable media, such as optical or magnetic
disks, fixed disks with magnetic storage (hard drives), tapes accessed by
tape drives, and other storage media. Processor 210 communicates, such as
through bus 202 and/or other data channels, with communications link 205
and memory device 220, receives data from user inputs such as pointing
device 215 and keyboard 230, and provides data to outputs such as display
225. Memory device 220 is configured to exchange data with processor 210,
and may store programs containing processor-executable instructions, and
values of variables for use by such programs. User input may be provided
at pointing device 215 and keyboard 230, as well as other optional
inputs, such as touch screens. In an embodiment, inputs may be received
via other user interfaces and workstations connected via wired or
wireless communications and via networked communications, such as via LAN
240, to processor 210. Other output devices may be in communication with
processor 210, including local and networked printers and speakers. By
way of non-limiting example, one or more programs may include
instructions causing processor 210 to provide output signals prompting a
user to provide payroll data, such as employee names, locations,
occupation classifications and compensation. Human operators may provide
inputs in response to such prompts, and the inputs may be received by
processor 210; processor 210 may cause data contained in such responses
to be stored in a suitable format, such as in one or more database
programs, in memory device 220, or in networked storage devices, such as
data storage 250. Communications link 205 may communicate with remote
sources of information, and with systems for implementing instructions
output by processor 210, via LAN 240. LAN 240 is merely exemplary, and
communication may be by one or more of suitable communication methods,
including over wired or wireless local area networks and wide area
networks, and over communications between networks, including over the
Internet. Any suitable data and communication protocols may be employed.

[0039] Referring now to FIG. 3, a system 300 for furnishing
payroll-related insurance premium data to a client device 360 is shown.
System 300 may operate to provide data to any suitable client device,
including without limitation the exemplary client devices illustrated in
FIG. 1. System 300 includes a data access module 305. A user employing
client device 360 may be granted access to system 300 by system
connection module 350, which may verify credentials such as user
identification and password. Data access module 305 is configured to,
responsive to a request from a user device, access payroll-based
insurance data of an employer from a database, such as databases 320,
322. The user may be associated with one employer; the association may be
maintained in the database, or in separate storage at the server, for
example. In an embodiment, a user, such as a broker or other
representative, may be associated with more than one employer. The system
may provide the user with a drop down menu or other display options to
permit furnishing a selection of one employer to the system.

[0040] Data access module 305 is configured to access data from insurance
company databases including names or other identifiers of employees
associated with the employer, and payroll-related insurance data
associated with each of the employees. In the embodiment, the insurance
company databases include separate audit database 320 and billing
database 322. In other embodiments, the audit data and billing data may
be in a single database. In other embodiments, the audit data and billing
data may be distributed in two or more databases on bases other than a
division between audit data and billing data. In an embodiment, the
databases may be implemented in any suitable relational database
management system, such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL server. The databases
include data for each employer, including employees associated with each
employer. The data associated with each employee may include the
incremental premium cost for that employee. The databases may further
include the incremental premium costs associated with each employee for
each payroll period, for a policy period, for a period of time other than
a policy period or payroll period, or a particular cycle of payroll
periods. The databases may include further data for each employee,
including employee geographic data, such as a state or other jurisdiction
where the employee is employed, an occupational classification code
associated with the employee, the total wages paid to that employee for
one or more payroll periods, status of the employee as an officer, owner
or other proprietor, and types of coverage for each employee. In addition
to total wages paid to the employee for one or more payroll periods, the
data may include wages paid as tips, wages paid as paid sick leave, paid
vacation, paid short-term disability leave, or other paid leave. In an
embodiment, suitable SQL queries may be stored in software code in one or
more memory devices by data access module 305 and accessed by data access
module 305 in response to a user request for data. In another embodiment,
queries may be stored in databases 320, 322, and may be accessed by data
access module 305.

[0041] Data accessed by data access module 305 may be furnished to
presentation module 310. Presentation module 310 may have associated
therewith one or more templates 312 for presentation of data accessed by
data access module 305. The presentation module 310 may populate a
selected template with the accessed data and transmit the populated
template for display on a client device. System connection module 350
provides authentication and data security services.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary populated template 400 as
displayed on a client device 402 is shown. The user has input a selected
payroll check date 410 from a drop down menu; the drop down menu is
populated based on check data stored in the database and associated with
an employer. The policy period 412 and the policy number 414 are also
accessed from the database. The display lists each employee associated
with the employer, or a subset selected using more selective database
queries, by name 426. In this embodiment, each employee has associated
with the employee name, geographic data, namely a state 420 of the
facility where the employee is employed, an occupation classification
code 422, a type 424, whether the employee is an owner, officer or
partner of the employer 428. Type 424 provides a code associated with the
occupation classification code to indicate whether the occupation
classification code is an actual code based on data received from or
verified by the employer, or a default code assigned by the insurance
company. The default code may be assigned by the insurance company if the
employer does not provide an occupation classification code, or if an
occupation classification code furnished by the employer is not permitted
under the policy. The display further shows payroll period information,
including the payroll period ending date 430, the employee's total wages
432 for that period, the employee's excluded wages 434 for that period,
and the employee's subject wages 436, which is the total wages less the
excluded wages. Excluded wages may include, for example, paid vacation
wages not subject to workers compensation premiums under applicable state
rules, and tips not subject to workers compensation premiums under
applicable state rules. The determination of whether wages are excluded
may be made using business rules that vary on a state-by-state basis. The
business rules reflect state legal and regulatory provisions. For
example, the business rules may provide that for a given state, wages
paid as sick time are not excluded, but for a different state, wages paid
as sick time are excluded. Similar rules may apply for wages paid as
vacation time, as tips, and in other categories. The application of
business rules requires accurate state data in column 420. The display
further shows a premium rate 438, an earned premium amount 440 for that
payroll period, a collected premium 442, and the date the collected
premium was drawn from the employer's bank account 444. The premium rate
438 may be determined in accordance with business rules, and may be
dependent on state, occupation classification code, officer or owner
status, and other factors. The display further shows a sum of the subject
wages for the employee from the commencement of the policy to date 446,
and a premium paid 448 on the employee to date under the policy. As the
policy commencement date may not be the same as the commencement date of
a pay period, the system may calculate the subject wages by pro-rating
the wages during a first pay period of the policy period. The policy to
date premium 448 is taken from the database. Notes area 450 provides
additional information regarding certain items. In the display, notes
area 450 provides a detailed explanation of the meanings of the codes D
and A in the Type column. Notes area 450 may provide detailed information
regarding other categories of data.

[0043] In the embodiment shown, the employees are shown individually and
grouped by state and occupation classification code, with totals of wage
and premium data for each state and occupation class combination. In
other embodiments, employees may be grouped by state only, by occupation
classification code only, or by other criteria.

[0044] In an embodiment, a button permits a user to launch a tool that
extracts the displayed data and formats the data in a suitable file for
download. The tool may be implemented as software stored in a system
memory device. The format of the file may be a spreadsheet format, such
as the .xls or .xlsx formats.

[0045] In reviewing the data, the user may readily identify data such as
incorrect states, occupation classification codes, and wages, and alert
the insurance company to provide changes. In an embodiment, the
presentation module may be configured to furnish a display that receives
user modifications to the displayed data input at the client device. The
presentation module may be configured to provide drop down menus with
permitted selections based on business rules and based on states,
occupation classification codes and other factors permitted under the
policy. The presentation module may furnish the modified data to the data
access module to update the insurance company databases with corrected
data in real time. In an embodiment, the system may be configured to
execute business rules by a user a tool may be provided for a user to
input updated data in the display, and the browser or other client
software furnishes the updated data to the web server, which then
transmits the updated data to the database to implement the correction in
real time.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 5, a screen 500 is displayed on device 502 that
is generated in response to selection of the non-payroll based premium
option from the select payroll check date drop down of FIG. 4. Here, the
expenses that are not based on payroll data are shown. In this
embodiment, there is a single entry, expense constant 505, which may be a
single expense for a policy term, or may represent an installment payment
on a flat expense for a policy term. The installments may be due on a
different basis than a payroll schedule. For example, the expense
constant 505 may be payable each calendar month. The entries may include
payments agreed in a payment plan, such as a payment plan agreed between
the employer and the insurance company for payment of underpaid premiums.
The entries may reflect flat payments to reflect underpayments identified
as a result of an audit by the insurance company of the employer's
records. For example, an audit may identify individuals classified as
independent contractors by the employer, on whom no premiums were paid,
while applicable law may require payment of workers compensation
insurance premiums. In an embodiment, the constant expense data shown in
FIG. 5 may be shown on a same screen with the payroll data of FIG. 4.

[0047] Returning to FIG. 3, in an embodiment, system connection module 350
performs functions of authenticating users for access to a computer
system for administration of payroll-related insurance policies and
transactions, including to access data from the databases 320, 322.
System connection module 350 also performs other firewall functions, such
as identification and neutralizing of malicious code and other attacks.
Presentation module 310 serves to present the accessed payroll based
insurance data of the employer on the client device. In an embodiment, a
system connection module may be implemented on the server and perform
functions of authenticating users and permitting connection to system
components. In an embodiment, a system connection module may be
implemented on a standalone device including one or more processors and
memory devices storing code having instructions which, when executed by
the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform
authentication and firewall functions.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 6, an embodiment of a computer system 600 for
classification of employees for use in payroll-based insurance services
will be explained. Server 602 has a processing module 604, a data access
module 606 and a communications module 608. Data access module 606
accesses employee data from a payroll data source, such as payroll
company server 620, and from insurance company databases 630, 632.
Insurance company databases 630, 632 are merely exemplary, and server 602
may access data in one database, or in two or more databases. Each
logical database may be stored on one or more memory storage devices.
Data may be accessed via a database server that accesses multiple data
storage units in which data in a logical database is stored. A user
associated with one or more employers may access server 602 from client
device 660, which in this example is a smart phone. System connection
module 650 may authenticate the user and provide data security services
for communications with client device 660. The user is associated with an
employer. Processing module 604 identifies, for one or more employers,
based on comparing employee data from the payroll company server 620 and
from the insurance company databases 630, 632, employees lacking an
associated occupation classification code. Processing module 604 may
perform this identification process for a given employer on a periodic
basis, when data associated with each payroll of the employer is
available from payroll company server 620, or at each authentication of a
user associated with the employer, for example. Processing module 604
makes the employee data available to presentation module 640.
Presentation module 640 generates and presents on a display on a client
device 660, for the authenticated user, a fillable form 700 listing each
of the identified employees and a user prompt for an occupation
classification code. The presentation module 640 receives classification
codes input by the user into client device 660. Processing module 604
further furnishes the received classification codes to the databases 630,
632. The user is thus able to update and correct classification data.

[0049] Various rules may be associated with the updating of classification
data. For example, a rule may provide a default classification code that
is applied to an employee, either upon receipt, or after a period of time
has elapsed with no input by the employer. The default code may be a code
having a highest premium. For example, for a workers compensation policy,
the default code may be a code of a classification subject to a highest
risk of injury and highest workers compensation premium rates. In another
embodiment, a default code may be a code associated with a highest
percentage of employees at that employer or at a class of employer.

[0050] After receipt of classification data, rules may be implemented by
the processing module for verification. Rules may be provided that create
flags if percentages of particular occupation classifications at
particular types of employers exceed or are less than set ranges. For
example, if the employer is an auto body shop, a flag may be triggered if
the percentage of clerical employees exceeds a relatively low percentage,
such as 10 percent. If the employer is a building contractor, a flag may
be triggered if the percentage of carpenters is below a threshold. If a
flag is triggered, a message may be generated by presentation module for
display on the client device indicating an error. The insurance company
database may include data indicative of permitted occupation
classification codes for employees associated with the employer, such as
under policy terms. Rules may generate a flag if an occupation
classification code is received that is not permitted for the employer's
policy. A message may be output to a workstation of insurance company
personnel to require manual review and approval of the classifications
prior to updating of the databases.

[0051] Upon receipt of the occupation classification code data, the data
may be provided to premium calculation module for calculation of
insurance premiums associated with the employee, based on the occupation
classification code and other data, such as state of employment.
Processing module 604 may similarly identify employees lacking geographic
information based on a comparison of data received from payroll company
server 620 and data in insurance company databases 630, 632. Processing
module 604 may provide this data to presentation module 640 to include in
a fillable form presented to the user on client device 660. The user,
thus prompted by the system, may provide geographic location data, such
as state of employment for each employee. This data may be checked by
processing module 604 for compliance with permitted states under the
policy, based on data in the insurance company databases. The state data
may be furnished to premium calculation module 610 for use in calculating
premiums. Similarly, data indicative of an employee's status as an
officer or owner may similarly be included in a fillable form, received
by the system, and employed to calculate premiums.

[0052] While FIG. 6 illustrates a payroll company server 620 as a source
of payroll data, other sources, such as a file on the employer's computer
system, may be employed to obtain the employee payroll data.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 7, an exemplary fillable form 700 as displayed on
a client device 702 is shown. Each identified employee not having an
associated occupation classification is listed by name at 710. Associated
with each identified employee name are input fields for location, such as
state field 720, occupation classification field 722, and an officer
yes/no checkbox 724. Under requirements that vary from state to state,
various states, officers and proprietors are subject to rules for
determination of workers compensation premiums different from those
applicable to employees. The state rules vary in some states depending on
a category of ownership. Maximum and minimum premiums or maximum and
minimum attributed wages are required under applicable rules of certain
states. Some state rules permit an employer to select whether an officer
or owner is covered. In an embodiment, separate checkboxes may be
provided for user selection of officer status or of owner/proprietor
status. In an embodiment, upon submission of a form including a user
selection of officer or owner/proprietor status, a system may run
business rules to determine if, under applicable state requirements, more
data is required, or options are available. If more data is required, or
options are available, a further screen may be generated and presented to
the user with a selection of permitted ownership categories, such as sole
proprietor, one of individual joint owners, general partner, limited
partner, sole shareholder, majority shareholder, or other options. The
data for such a screen may be provided, referring again to FIG. 6, by
processing module 604 to presentation module 640, which may select one of
a plurality of suitable templates for such a screen. If options are
available, the screen may permit the user to make selections, such as
opting in or opting out of workers compensation coverage for the
particular individual.

[0054] Referring again to FIG. 7, each field in form 700 may have a drop
down menu, based on data contained in the database for permitted states
and occupation classifications under the policy. The drop down menu may
permit selection only of permitted states and permitted occupation
classifications. A comment field 730 is available for the user to provide
comments in free text form. For example, if the drop down menus for
location or occupation classifications omit required options, the user
may provide comments in field 730. Comments may be directed by the system
to an insurance company user. A submit button 740 is provided for the
user to provide an instruction for the data to be transmitted by the
browser client or client application to an insurance company server for
further processing.

[0055] Referring now to FIG. 8, a block diagram is provided of exemplary
system 800 for receiving payroll data for determination of premiums for
payroll related insurance. Presentation module 805 provides a fillable
form, such as fillable form 900, for display on a client device, such as
smart phone 810. System connection module 850 provides user
authentication and data security services for data exchanged with smart
phone 810. The form prompts the user to provide payroll data, the payroll
data including employee geographic data (such as state of employment),
occupation classification codes and gross amount paid, and for providing
received data to processing module. Other categories of wages, such as
bonuses, paid vacation, paid sick leave, commissions, overtime, other
paid leave and tips, may be included in fields in the form. Presentation
module 805 may pre-fill the form with data from a prior payroll period
accessed from an insurance company database. Processing module 822 of
server 820 receives user-supplied data from the presentation module 805.
Processing module 822 runs business rules on the received data. The
business rules may include determining whether the furnished locations
and occupation classification codes are permitted for the policy of the
employer. The business rules may include rules to determine if
percentages of employees in various occupation classes are within
permitted ranges for an employer type. The business rules may include
rules to determine if the wages are within permitted ranges for
occupation classification code and geographic location, by way of further
example. If processing module identifies a discrepancy based on the
business rules, the processing module may provide a signal to the
presentation module to display a suitable error message identifying the
data causing the error and the violation. For example, the message may
read: Number of clerical employees exceeds maximum for business type with
your total payroll. The user may then provide corrected data, which is
again subject to business rules by the processing module.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 9, fillable form 900 presented on device 902 is
shown. A series of input fields 910 are provided for the user to provide,
by state and class, total figures for a given payroll. The totals include
standard wages, bonus, tips, commission payments, paid vacation payments,
sick time payments, and overtime payments. In an embodiment, each field
may be presented for each individual employee; the user may have the
option of selecting between total or individual employee inputs.

[0058] The present systems may be associated with a system as further
described in copending application Ser. No. 11/975,224, filed Oct. 17,
2007. Such a system may, by way of example, be for accumulating,
processing, administering and analyzing workers compensation premiums in
an automated workflow environment. The system provides for calculating
the workers' compensation premiums for a designated period based on the
payroll processes, notifying the insured of the amount of funds and
timing of each expected withdrawal from its bank account, withdrawing
from the insured's bank account the premium funds and transferring the
funds to the insurance carrier. This advantageously results in reduced
financial risks, reduced non payments of premiums and improvement of cash
flows for the insured. The system additionally provides for electronic
data transfer pertaining to administrative data, and billing relating to
workers compensation premiums. Such a system may notify the user of each
expected withdrawal from a bank account, access of which is provided by
the user. The system automatically draws the workers' compensation
premium from the user's account based on its actual payroll data for the
applicable period.

[0059] Such a system processes payroll insurance premiums, more
particularly, where input data related to workers' compensation payment
obligations obtained from payroll records is acquired in real-time by
validating username/passwords before accessing a customer payroll system
payroll database; accessing the customer payroll system payroll database;
encrypting payroll data; transmitting encrypted payroll data from the
remote site to the central site asynchronously or scheduled in real time;
uploading the payroll data onto the central site server database;
collecting an employee roster associated with the payroll data;
categorizing pay-type information; parsing and translating the
categorized information; storing the parsed and translated information
into temporary databases; detecting the presence or absence of fraud that
may be related to the payroll data; transferring the payroll data
resident in the temporary databases to a process for (a) applying state
jurisdictional inclusion and exclusion rules applicable to workers'
compensation payments; and (b) pushing final data into a billing system
for debiting the customer account.

[0060] Such a system may include a remote site payroll system configured
with a accounting/bookkeeping software such as QuickBooks®
Pro/Premier/Enterprise residing in a memory, a customer payroll system
having a payroll database; a utility software resident in memory to
permit a central site computer web server to receive from the remote site
system payroll data stored in a database at the remote site; and a server
to read payroll accounts either received from the web server or residing
in a payroll database; an Internet connection has a browser appearing on
a display. The central site may include a web server or alternatively a
server having conditioning software to parse, filter and generally
extract payroll data received from a system exclusive of other payroll
deductions; and a rules engine customized to a particular remote payroll
system, which may include a worker classification functionality to
separate different occupations. Once the insurance premiums are
determined, the premium amount due is transmitted through a network to a
banking or billing system. The billing system debits an employer payables
payroll account and credits an insurance company receivable account.

[0061] A database may be is interconnected to a payroll system for storing
accumulated payroll information and other data pertinent to a payroll
generation system. User input device(s) for receiving input into each
terminal of the payroll system are also provided as well as output
devices such as a printer or electronic document formatter for producing
documents being interconnected and responsive to each of the payroll
system. A banking system or billing system including an insured's bank
may be accessed; a payables debit bank account may reside in the
insured's bank, and may communicate with an insurance company bank
wherein a receivables deposit account resides.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 11, a process flow of a computer-implemented
method for furnishing payroll-related insurance data to a user associated
with an employer via a client device is illustrated. A request for access
to a computer system is received 1105 from a user at a client device. The
user is authenticated 1110, such as by a system authentication module.
The system receives 1115 a user request for payroll-based insurance data
of an employer associated with the user. Responsive to the request, the
system accesses 1120, such as by a processor of a data access module,
payroll-based insurance data of the employer from a database. The
accessed payroll-based insurance data includes names of employees and
employee data associated with each of the employees, the employee data
including wages paid to the employee, occupation classification code of
the employee, employment location of the employee, and cost of premium
for payroll-based insurance coverage associated with the employee. The
system presents 1125, such as by a processor of a presentation module,
the accessed payroll based insurance data of the employer on a display of
the client device. The data presented may include employee names and,
associated with each of the employee names, employee data including wages
paid to the employee, occupation classification code of the employee,
employment location of the employee, and cost of premium for
payroll-based insurance coverage associated with the employee.

[0063] Referring now to FIG. 12, a system 1200 for administration of
payroll-related insurance transactions and policies, and particularly
include a renewal module 1212, will be explained. Server 1202 has a
processing module 1204, a data access module 1206, a communications
module 1208, a premium calculation module 1210, and a renewal module
1212. Data access module 1206 accesses employee data from a payroll data
source, such as payroll company server 1220, and from exemplary insurance
company databases 630, 632. A user associated with one or more employers
may access server 1202 from client device 1260, which in this example is
a smart phone. System connection module 1250 may authenticate the user
and provide data security services for communications with client device
1260. The user is associated with an employer. Processing module 1204
performs processing functions, such as applying business rules to
identify gaps or inconsistencies in payroll and insurance company data,
and running business rules for verification of data furnished by the user
from client device 1260. Presentation module 1240 presents data provided
by processing module 1204 and data access module 1206 for display on
client device 660. Presentation module 1240 may deliver, for example, a
wage statement, listing wages paid to various employees on various
payroll dates, or over time, in various categories. Renewal module 1212
may monitor when a policy is within a certain time period, such as 60 or
90 days, of the end of a term, and may then automatically generate a
policy renewal. A policy renewal may be in the form of a policy
endorsement renewing the party for another time period, such as a year.
Renewal module 1212 may output a signal to a printing and mailing system
for printing and mailing of policy renewals and related documents, such
as endorsements.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 13, a high level view of an environment in which
a system for administration of payroll-related insurance is shown.
Payroll-related insurance processing system 1200 may perform functions of
such a system as explained in the present application. System 1200 is
within insurance company environment 1200. Claims processing system 1370
may generate requests, transmitted via LAN 1360, to payroll-related
insurance processing system 1200. Claims processing system 1370 may
process claims under payroll-related insurance policies. Such requests
may be, for example, for verification of coverage and other details, such
as policy exclusions and limits, as to a particular employee at a
particular time, in connection with the policies. The request may be
received by a processor of a communications module. A processor of a data
access module may access, from a database, payroll-related insurance
data. A processing module may compare data in the request with the data
accessed from the database, and determine a response to the request for
verification based on the comparing. A processor of a communications
module may furnish the response to the request to the claims processing
system 1370.

[0065] System 1200 may furnish data indicative of amounts to be invoiced,
based on calculations of payroll-related insurance premiums, to invoicing
system 1310. Data may identify the employer, payroll periods or other
time periods, coverages, and premiums amounts. Invoicing system 1310 may
format invoices as print files to printers 1312, which may interface with
a mailing system to cause the invoices 1314 to be mailed, such as via a
postal service, illustrated by post office 1330, to employer 1340.
Employer 1340 may mail premium payments by check using post office 1330
to bank 1360 for crediting in an insurance company account.
Alternatively, bank 1360 may be a bank of the employer, and a payment
processing system 1320 may provide instructions to bank 1360 for debiting
of the employer's account. Upon receipt of payment by the insurance
company, payment processing system provides data indicative of the
payment to system 1200. The data indicative of the payment may be stored
in insurance company databases. Employer 1340 may access system 1200 via
Internet 1350 to view and update data as described in this application.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 14, a process flow of a computer-implemented
method for classification of employees for use in payroll-based insurance
services is shown. A system accesses 1405, such as by a processor of a
data access module, employee data, of employees associated with an
employer, from a payroll data source and from an insurance company
database. The system identifies 1410, such as by a processor of a
processing module, based on the accessed employee data, employees lacking
an associated occupation classification code. The system presents 1415,
such as by a processor of a presentation module, responsive to a request
from a user associated with the employer, a fillable form on a display on
a client device listing each of the identified employees and a user
prompt for an occupation classification code. The system receives 1420
occupation classification codes from the user. The system furnishes 1425,
such as by a processor of the processing module received occupation
classification codes to the insurance company database.

[0067] Referring now to FIG. 15, a process flow of a computer-implemented
method for receiving payroll related employee data and determining
payroll related insurance premiums is shown. A fillable form is presented
1505, such as by a processor of a presentation module, for display on a
client device. The form prompts the user to provide payroll data, the
payroll data including employee geographic data, occupation
classification and gross amount paid. Received data is provided 1510,
such as by a processor of the presentation module received data to a
processing module. Business rules are run 1515 by a processor of the
processing module on the received data. The payroll data may then be
furnished 1520 by the processor of the processing module to a premium
calculation module. A processor of the premium calculation module may
calculate 1525 insurance premiums based on the received payroll data.

[0068] References to state rules and regulations herein include rules and
regulations of any jurisdiction that has separate workers compensation
rules and regulations, including for example, within the jurisdiction of
the United States: the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, other U.S. territories and possessions, the Navajo Nation and
other American Indian nations.

[0069] Embodiments of the present invention are operable with computer
storage products or computer readable media that contain program code for
causing a processor to perform the various computer-implemented
operations. The computer-readable medium is any data storage device that
can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system such as
a microprocessor. The media and program code may be those specially
designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or
they may be of the kind well known to those of ordinary skill in the
computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, but
are not limited to magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and
magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media;
and specially configured hardware devices such as application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and ROM
and RAM devices. Examples of program code include both machine code, as
produced, for example, by a compiler, or files containing higher-level
code that may be executed using an interpreter. Steps in the
computer-implemented methods may be implemented in processors running
software stored locally, and/or in configurations such as application
service providers, in which certain steps are executed on processors
communicating with one another over a network such as the Internet.
Either stand-alone computers or client/server systems, or any combination
thereof, may be employed.

[0070] A system in accordance with the invention may include means
corresponding to each step in each method described herein. Each means
may be implemented by a processor executing instructions contained in
programs which may be stored in a storage medium, such as a magnetic or
optical storage medium. The instructions may, when executed by a
processor, cause the processor to execute algorithms disclosed in
association with each step. It will be appreciated that any of the steps
in the methods in accordance with the invention described herein may be
so implemented.

[0071] An exemplary advantage of a system and method in accordance with an
embodiment is that employers can obtain access to detailed payroll based
insurance premium data with minimal printing and mailing costs. A further
exemplary advantage is that the cost and delay associated with
telephoning of employers by insurance company personnel to obtain
classification information for employees for determination of
payroll-based insurance premiums is avoided. A further exemplary
advantage is that an employer that does not use a payroll service company
may conveniently provide accurate payroll data to an insurance company
for determination of premiums.

[0072] While the foregoing invention has been described with reference to
the above embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made
without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, all such
modifications and changes are considered to be within the scope of the
appended claims.